Class of 2028
Bachelor of Science – Nursing
I’m 37 years old and from Springfield. I left high school at 16 and earned my GED. Elms College is the third college I’ve attended.
I went to American International College in 2005 to study criminal justice, but it wasn’t the right time for me. I was living on campus, it was the first time away from mom and dad, and I was just all over the place. I wasn’t there for the right reasons.
A decade later, I attended Springfield Technical Community College and earned my associate’s degree in Liberal Arts in 2025. Now I’m at Elms College working on my nursing degree, and everything feels like it is coming together.
As a student, I needed support. I needed structure. I needed people who would actually care if I succeeded. And I found that at Elms College.
From the moment I started here, I’ve felt like I mattered.
It’s funny, but the Elms campus is 5 minutes from my house. I can ride my bike to school. And one of my sisters graduated from Elms with a business degree, and another sister is in the nursing program. And I’ve seen the Elms billboards. But when I was considering nursing schools, I began looking around, researching different colleges to find the best fit.
And everything led me right back to Elms College.
After taking a campus tour, I immediately decided I wanted to come here. Meeting faculty and seeing the labs sold me. I found the professors really supportive, and I felt like I wouldn’t be slipping through any cracks.
Nursing school is hard. The workload is heavy. There are long days and moments where you feel overwhelmed. But my professors are present. They listen. They make time. I never feel like I’m just another student in the room. I feel seen.
Having that kind of support makes a difference. Being able to ask questions, stay after class, or reach out when you don’t understand something means everything.
Professor Christina Hoover and Dr. Winifred Martin mean so much to me. They both remind me of what it feels like to have someone truly in your corner who cares. The way they encourage me and believe in me is something I carry with me every day through this journey. My classes are small, 20 students instead of 40 or more like at other schools, and that matters. I can speak up. I can ask questions without feeling judged. And the people around me are not just classmates – we’ve built real connections. We support each other. We’ve become like family.
What I learn in my classes, I can already apply in my job as a patient care technician at Baystate Health. Every shift I work reminds me why I started this journey. I see people at their most vulnerable who need help. It reminds me constantly that this is where I am supposed to be. I’m not just learning this, I’m living it. I speak up for my patients and make sure they’re heard and cared for. Even the small moments of just making sure someone is comfortable or understood remind me of the kind of nurse I want to be.